The sudden surge in popularity of AUPEN bags has been met with a mix of intrigue and skepticism. On one hand, the brand has achieved a notable presence in Hollywood, with its signature asymmetrical designs being sported by a roster of celebrities including Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Hailey Bieber, and Olivia Rodrigo.
This hypervisibility, coupled with the brand's vegan-friendly reputation and an accessible price point under $500, has contributed to its rapid rise in less than a year since its launch in November 2022.
However, beneath the surface of this newfound fame lies a contentious issue that has left many customers frustrated: AUPEN's return policy. AUPEN deducts a hefty $80 from refunds for returns, a policy that not only deters customers from returning their purchases but also raises questions about the brand's confidence in customer retention.
"I fell victim to this scam as well, it's ridiculous to charge $80 dollars for a refund. I went ahead and asked a friend in the garment manufacturing space in China. Since Aupen ships directly from their factory, they simply chose a super cheap turn key manufacturing that has no QC. This is why their quality and build is so much worse than brands in the same price range. They hide this $80 refund price unlike other companies that will inform you prior to purchase because they have NO CONFIDENCE in the quality of their bag. The refund fee actually covers all their OPEX as well as a small profit for the company. Therefore they will make money either way. Honestly, just a really shitty way to do business, and when asked about it they hide behind argument of 'we are just small business'. Completely unethical!" said a reddit commentor.
"Such a steep return fee is not only odd, but completely outrageous for an online retailer. Its inevitable that exchanges and returns will happen when someone is going off pictures online, however, once they see an item in person the value based on quantity and price may not be there" said retail expert, Jeanel Alvarado. "With the industry standard still being free returns and exchanges for new never-worn items, it makes no sense to have a return policy so ridiculous."
She continued, "I can understand the frustration from customers who attempt to return their items that's quality did not match the price tag, just to be surprised by $80 return fee. I personally, checked the website and there is no mention of any return/exchange fees on the product page or checkout page. For a return policy as strict, it should be clearly visible to shoppers."
Adding to the skepticism is the observation that the same Aupen bag, once priced at an affordable $180, saw some of its bag price jump to $469 coinciding with the influx of celebrity endorsements and affiliate-linked articles. This price hike, alongside the lack of substantial reviews on the quality of AUPEN products, has led some to label the brand as an "overpriced influencer scam" rather than a legitimate luxury contender.
"The Nirvana bag should be priced more like $175 not $350. Even $175 is too much for what you’re getting. Oh but I guess putting ads on social media and paying off mainstream media platforms for advertorials to trick consumers into thinking the brand is quality is more important than actually delivering quality, said a reddit commentator.
Commentators said in response on a reddit forum titled "Stay away from AUPEN":
"No thank you. Mango, Zara, and Charles & Keith easily sell bags that look like this for $80 or less. We need to be smart, discerning consumers."
"Vogue and a ton of fashion articles are pimping them right now. None of their bags look interesting enough to bother with. Plus, I'm not the age demographic of Taylor Swift and Hailee Bieber."
"So true, I fell for it and trying to get a refund now. The bag isn’t worth the money. The braided handle is cheap looking. You can get a comparable bag off of Ali express for under $20USD."
"I don't know how they managed to get their bags on so many celebs. My guess is that they have a major investor who is some anon celeb, who is using this as a way to churn cash."
"Thank you for sharing this! I have seen lots of their ads, but never considered purchasing. Now, I never will."
In another forum, more customers note they were unaware of the unfair return policy:
"Omg, mine just arrived today. once I open the box, I understand it's a scam. Just emailed the customer service to ask for a return address !!!! Did not check the return policy before, and was incfluenced by a YouTube video. ofc Taylor's fan too.... huge lesson, never be scam like this before, and I am from mainland china living in the U.S. so fully shame of them using this kinda return policy and PR method to scam ppl."
Some disgruntled customers took to AUPEN Trustpilot to review:
"Avoid. This company have clever marketing techniques that make you think this is a high end product.. it is not. Product and packaging do not match the price tag. Then when you try to return they practically beg you to keep it offering a 20% refund. You persist but have to pay for it to be posted plus they deduct 80 dollars for the process. Shocking service avoid!!"
"Sketchy company... They charge $80 just to restock the product. Which is outrageous for a product that weighs less than 2kg. The product itself costs less than $80 to produce / ship, therefore they make money regardless if the product is defective and you have to return. Also product ships directly from the factory which is very unusual for a "boutique" bag company. Operates more like a dropshipping company... very disappointing."
"What a joke, read their refund or return policy of 7 days and they deduct $80 mo matter what…..and you have to call them and they decide if you can return it or not…..hope they go out of business."
"I am so disappointed. Their customer service is horrible. You click on online service and absolutely nothing comes up. It just tells you to contact them, well I contact them and it simply goes into shopping . Then the 80.00 dollar service charge, what????
I guess I am stuck with a handbag that I don't want. Can anyone out there help me?"
"The handle of my bag Nirvana just broke after a month, really disappointed for it to be so easily broken with cheap sewing at this high price"
"Very poor quality given the price, when it arrived the box was battered and certainly not in a condition to wrap. On looking to return and get a refund they make it virtually impossible and deduct $80 dollars for the priviledge."
